California Kroger, Albertsons Workers Come to Tentative Agreement on New Contract
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Locals 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428 and 1442, collectively representing 45,000-plus California grocery workers, have reached a tentative agreement providing higher wages, more money for pension contributions, additional health and welfare improvements, staffing and more.
A statement from the UFCW Kroger and Albertsons Grocery Workers Rising Bargaining Committee noted in part: “We look forward to sharing and discussing the details of this agreement with our co-workers before we make our voices heard during the voting process.”
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According to the locals, further details of the tentative agreement will be shared only with union members in future meetings. Following the vote, the results will be tallied, verified and shared with members. Vote results and more information about the contract will be made public after the members have had the opportunity to review and vote on it.
The grocery workers who would be covered by the contract are employed at Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions stores across Central and Southern California. Workers’ separate contracts with Ralphs and Albertsons expired this past March. Employees at Southern California Stater Bros. stores are currently negotiating similar terms with their employer.
In related labor news, UFCW 8-Golden State has revealed simultaneous negotiations for retail food contracts throughout Northern, Central and Southern California.
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“As the only UFCW local union in the state with members covered by both retail food contracts, this opportunity marks a turning point in beginning to align standards for thousands of grocery workers at Albertsons, Safeway and Vons,” the Roseville, Calif.-based local noted in a statement, adding that union members in Kern, Mono and Inyo counties are now part of a bargaining unit stretching from the Grapevine (a section of Interstate 5) to the border with Oregon.
“Our leadership team is fully committed to securing a contract delivering stronger retirement benefits, better health care and meaningful wage increases,” said UFCW 8-Golden State President Jacques Loveall. “This moment requires unity and patience. Together, we are sending a clear message: Solidarity Works.”
Future bargaining sessions are scheduled for July 8-9, with strike authorization votes to take place at the same time for UFCW 8-Golden State members as well as UFCW Locals 5 and 648 members.
As of Feb. 22, Albertsons Cos. operated 2,270 retail food and drug stores with 1,728 pharmacies, 405 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The Boise, Idaho-based company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under more than 20 well-known banners. Albertsons is No. 9 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2025 list of top food and consumables retailers in North America. Cincinnati-based Kroger employs nearly 420,000 associates who serve more than 11 million customers daily through a digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names. The grocer is No. 4 on The PG 100. PG also named both companies among its Retailers of the Century. Stater Bros. operates nearly 170 supermarkets in Southern California and employs 18,000 associates. The Modesto, Calif.-based company is No. 60 on The PG 100.
Washington, D.C.-based United Food and Commercial Workers International Union represents more than 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada and is one of the largest private-sector unions in North America.
